Just a WAG, but the crown over FVS mark looks very similar to Felipe V of Spain. There was at least one huge treasure shipwreck during his reign: The Capitania. And I would treat any such piece with skepticism.
We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last. --Severian the Lame
Isn't the M with the circle over the top the mint mark for the Mexico City Mint? Neat looking bar that's most likely recovered from a treasure hoard from a Spanish shipwreck.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
1659 Philip IV 22-carat ingot Mexico City Are you located in Florida?
This most likely had to be recovered from a shipwreck. However this piece is more smooth and less porous than the rough and sometimes more porous examples I have seen. Provenance, weight, and measurements will be key in verifying the legitimacy of your ingot as @mkman123@Weiss@PerryHall have mentioned.
The square stamp on the left end of the ingot bearing an 'M' with the small 'o' above indicates mintage in Mexico City. Just to the right is a crowned stamp bearing the monogram PVS indicating the monarch, Philip IV, this is the royal stamp showing the Quinto or "fifth" tax had been paid to the king's agents. The Quinto was a lucrative royal tax requiring everyone to pay the king the equivalent of one-fifth the value of all their income and assets. Followed by a round crowned stamp bearing the date 1659. The small round stamped P to the right is the initial of the anonymous assayer who produced coins during 1622-1667. Again to the right is a large stamped 'V' for the weight, which equalled 5 old Spanish ounces. Finally, the obverse rim of an 8 escudos piece is stamped once on the far right end of the ingot
In 1659, the Spanish viceroy of Lima tried to quash doubts about the quality of coins from New World mints by sending prime samples aboard the galleon San Miguel de Archangel to King Philip IV. The ship sank in a storm off the Jupiter Inlet in December 1659 or January 1660.
Now that it has been identified, I would recommend that it be certified by a major TPG. First check to see if they can do it.
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
It's climbed over my comfort level in price.
It's from a safety deposit box auction.
The marks look too contemporary from the real salvaged bars, SO I'll call it a cool art bar and take a pass on it.
rte592
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tell us more on how you got this and where. Provenance is important.....the chinese can fake these easily
Many members on this forum that now it cannot fit in my signature. Please ask for entire list.
Just a WAG, but the crown over FVS mark looks very similar to Felipe V of Spain. There was at least one huge treasure shipwreck during his reign: The Capitania. And I would treat any such piece with skepticism.
--Severian the Lame
Isn't the M with the circle over the top the mint mark for the Mexico City Mint? Neat looking bar that's most likely recovered from a treasure hoard from a Spanish shipwreck.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
1659 Philip IV 22-carat ingot Mexico City Are you located in Florida?
This most likely had to be recovered from a shipwreck. However this piece is more smooth and less porous than the rough and sometimes more porous examples I have seen. Provenance, weight, and measurements will be key in verifying the legitimacy of your ingot as @mkman123 @Weiss @PerryHall have mentioned.
The square stamp on the left end of the ingot bearing an 'M' with the small 'o' above indicates mintage in Mexico City. Just to the right is a crowned stamp bearing the monogram PVS indicating the monarch, Philip IV, this is the royal stamp showing the Quinto or "fifth" tax had been paid to the king's agents. The Quinto was a lucrative royal tax requiring everyone to pay the king the equivalent of one-fifth the value of all their income and assets. Followed by a round crowned stamp bearing the date 1659. The small round stamped P to the right is the initial of the anonymous assayer who produced coins during 1622-1667. Again to the right is a large stamped 'V' for the weight, which equalled 5 old Spanish ounces. Finally, the obverse rim of an 8 escudos piece is stamped once on the far right end of the ingot
In 1659, the Spanish viceroy of Lima tried to quash doubts about the quality of coins from New World mints by sending prime samples aboard the galleon San Miguel de Archangel to King Philip IV. The ship sank in a storm off the Jupiter Inlet in December 1659 or January 1660.
all around collector of many fine things
If it's authentic, you have a very valuable item !!!
looks like a Rothschild billy club
Keep an open mind, or get financially repressed -Zoltan Pozsar
Intriguing bar to say the least.
Has that almost to uniform look to it.
That and the most troubling thing NO purity markings?
Here is the back side.
A couple pictures from the Jupiter Wreck.
Now that it has been identified, I would recommend that it be certified by a major TPG. First check to see if they can do it.
What a great piece - if authentic - Good luck in having it certified. Is there an interesting backstory to the acquisition? Cheers, RickO
It's climbed over my comfort level in price.
It's from a safety deposit box auction.
The marks look too contemporary from the real salvaged bars, SO I'll call it a cool art bar and take a pass on it.
Awesome ingot!
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Final update.
The bar sold for $8705.00.
$5200 worth 22k gold per weight and the rest was driven by the COOL factor.